Playing the Odds
by AutumnDream26
Summary: AH/AU Until tragedy struck, Isabella Swan used to be one of the best bodyguards in the F.B.I. When a brutal serial killer makes New York its playing ground, Isabella is called in to help with the case of the decade.Edward Cullen is the ultimate arrogant,womanizer yet infuriating rockstar. Unfortunately for him, he also happens to be the killer's next target.
1. Chapter 1

A scream echoed through the pitch black night tearing the layer of silence that had taken over the small house. The gleaming full moon sent its rays past the red curtains, offering a small beam of light.

Panting, a brown haired young woman had woken up from a horrific nightmare, drenched in cold sweat, tears rolling down her face. It had been months since her last dream, but something inside her mind must have triggered those memories that she had buried in the farthest corner of her mind so that the scars in her heart would stop bleeding.

Why? She asked herself, but no answer came. Isabella Swan's mind had always been a complicated place that functioned on its own and she'd stopped questioning it long ago. Shaking her head, she tried to erase those haunting images from the back of her eyes. Unfortunately, they never went away. No matter how hard she tried.

Knowing that she wouldn't be able to go back to sleep, she rolled out of bed and headed for the bathroom. She splashed ice cold water on her face in desperate need of some comfort and looked at herself in the mirror.

What greeted her was not the Bella that she presented to her friends or even to her students. No, this one was broken. A pale reflexion of what she projected to the outside world. Deep purple bags under her eyes that were no longer hid by make-up, bloodshot eyes that were swollen from her tears and her lips formed a grimace of pain.

Sighing, she turned away and went to the living room where a stack of essays were waiting to be graded. If anyone had told her four years ago that she'd be an English teacher she'd have laughed in their face.

_How the mighty have fallen,_ she thought, a bitter smile crossing her face as she skimmed through the poorly written papers, giving them higher marks than deserved. This activity that she absolutely hated doing kept her mind busy enough and managed to make the time pass.

At nearly 6 in the morning, Isabella had put on her workout clothes and left for her usual morning jog. It kept her body fit, a necessary habit picked up during her old job. The streets were empty save from a few persons who rushed towards their workplaces.

Nearly 7 miles later, Bella stopped to catch her breath, her tired body aching, but her mind thoroughly satisfied with the effort she'd put in. A newspaper caught her eye and curiosity got the best of her since she quickly headed for the newspaper stand.

_Killer strikes again. Will the police ever catch him? _

The title sent shivers down her back. She'd heard of the mysterious serial killer that had been on a rampage the last couple of months, but when she'd heard of the involvement of the F.B.I, she'd guessed that his days were numbered. Apparently, she'd been dead wrong.

Fighting against the overwhelming urge to buy that paper and go over the gruesome details like she used to do back in the days, she teared her eyes away and left home so she could get ready for class.

The high school bristled with teenagers who chatted loudly about parties, actors or their fellow classmates. Bella ignored all of this and went straight for her classroom. The doorbell rang and the seats quickly filled up. Her lecture today was about Crime and Punishment by Dostoyevsky and it had managed to captivate her students, she could tell.

"Any questions?" she asked, her eyes scanning the room. When no hand was raised, she was about to tell them their assignments for their next class when a stern, cold voice interrupter her.

"I have a few questions for you."

A dark haired, athletic man made his way to the front of the class. His emerald eyes met with the woman's onyx ones. Bella got goosebumps at the sight of the person standing in front of her. She knew him. She knew him too well.

"Class," she cleared her throat,"You're dismissed."

The students cast curious looks at their teacher, but decided that their extended break was more important than whatever was going on.

Once everyone was gone, Bella spoke again. "What brings you here, Jack?" The question was asked even though she had a good idea of why he was here and the look Jack gave her showed that he'd seen through her fake ignorance.

"We need your help."

"No," she shook her head," I told you I was done and I meant every single word I said."

"I know," he sighed deeply,"Just like you know I wouldn't be here if I wasn't extremely important."

Bella looked at her old boss, the head of the F.B.I murder investigation department. She knew he was telling the truth, but she'd sworn to herself she would never go back.

"I can't, Jack," her voice was shaking," I'm sorry, but I cannot help you."

"Twelve people. All killed ruthlessly. We have no leads. I know you care, it's in you nature. Please, just come and take a look at the case. You're the only one who might provide us with useful insight seeing as you've dealt a similar situation before."

Bella couldn't believe her ears. One of the persons she used to trust, no she still trusted Jack Campbell, was using her innate need to help people for his own selfish purpose. Yet she couldn't help but wonder if she wasn't really the selfish one here.

"Damn you, Jack."

"I knew you'd do the right thing," he declared with a broad smile.

Twenty minutes later, Bella's eyes fell upon the F.B.I headquarters. It was an imposing building which was now making her shake. The last time she'd been here, she'd been a different version of herself. A stronger one who still managed to fail in every single way. Come to think of it, she didn't understand why they requested her presence in the first place.

Her face motionless, she entered the bullpen alongside Jack. There, at least a dozen people were working in what some would call desperation, but everyone stopped to look at her.

Bella's hands were sweating so she closed them in fists, in an attempt to appear strong and in control. One pointed look from Jack and they all resumed their previous work.

"Jessica has compiled a few files containing everything we've found. Study them and tell me your opinion," he added gently, leading her to a desk where files were stacked.

Just by seeing the first picture, Bella could tell they were dealing with a deeply deranged

person. It showed a woman laid on a bed, her arms bound with barbed wire above her head, her throat sliced from one side to the other, and one of her legs cut off from the knee below. A smile was painted with blood on her lips. The other images presented similarly arranged bodies, only with different parts of their body missing.

Removing her eyes from the files, she could see that every single pair of eyes was on her, expectantly staring at her.

"Have any of the amputated parts been found?" she asked.

"No, we've assumed that he's kept them as trophies," responded the blonde woman whom Jack had called Jessica.

"And you might have been right, but I think I have a different theory."

Jack nodded, urging her to go on while everyone else looked at her as if she was crazy. Wait until they hear what I'm about to say, she thought.

"I think he's creating something, a perfect human body," she glanced at the people gathered around her that clearly believed she was insane before trying to support her previous statement," Let's stop for a moment and merely consider this option. The bodies have been badly mutilated yet he severed or removed body parts with extreme caution. Why would he do that? It also helps us understand why he chooses people, a hand model for a hand, a marathon runner for a leg..." she trailed off looking at Jack for some sort of backup.

"It's actually not that far-fetched and it explains a few things," the older man added after a few moments,"Anything else, Bella?"

"He's getting bolder, taking more risks. That means that he'll try and kill more often. It might be a bad thing, but it might also make him slip up. I saw that you got a note from him, I'd like to see it."

Quickly, a young girl that looked like a runaway model gave her a picture of a neatly scribbled piece of paper.

_Dear F.B.I and police,_

_You call me the Human Jigsaw Killer. I have killed Dana Murray and eleven other people. There's more to come. Many more. However you are all running around confused while I wander around free, laughing at your incompetence so I will give you a clue just so I don't get bored. The next person is someone that the entire world will mourn. Someone whose Cross is not that easy to bear. Someone who'll soon take their final bow. In front of me. Screaming for mercy. Or maybe I should have said singing?_

"He's taunting us. It's a hint for his next victim."

"We know that, Isabella," Jack inhaled deeply," But we haven't been able to figure out who he is referring to."

"Bella," she corrected his as a reflex while scanning the paper again in search of clues. "It's someone famous," at the bewildered look on everyone's face she continued," He says the whole world will mourn him. And he talks about taking a bow so probably an actor or a singer of some sort," her brow furrowed," The word Cross is with a capital letter. Try looking for a celebrity whose name is Cross or has any connection whatsoever to that word and who is currently in New York or near the city."

Jessica immediately got on it while Bella cast a weak smile in Jack's direction. It felt good to be back to helping people and putting the evil ones behind bars.

"Got it," Jessica's voice brought her back to earth," There are two names connected to Cross. One's an 87 year old actress and the other a band called Crossfire."

"The lead singer," declared Bella," He's the next target. Save him and catch your killer."

Bella was ready to leave, considering her job done when Jack's yell made her turn around.

"Stay, help us. He's already evaded us twice. Help us protect him.

His words hit her like a tidal wave because she understood the hidden meaning behind them. How could he ask this of her? After what happened three years ago.

"You know I can't, Jack. I'm not the right person for that kind of mission. Not anymore," she looked to the ground, ashamed of her own weakness.

"You can, Bella. I have complete faith in your abilities. You're the best of the best and that singer needs that. Don't deny him his life because you're scared."

At his words, Bella eyed him, fury and determination shinning in her eyes. She was indeed scared, but she'd never admit that to anyone. And she wouldn't be a coward anymore. She'd catch the Human Jigsaw Killer even if it was the last thing she did.

"I'm not scared, Jack," just as he opened his mouth to protest, she cut him off," Let's go warn that singer."


	2. Chapter 2

"So, tell me more about this rock star guy," began Bella as the car took a turn to the right. They had left immediately to warn the singer. Jack was driving in his usual crazy way and had Bella wondering how he was still alive while praying for her own well being.

"His name is Edward Cullen and he's a singer and an actor amongst others," blasted Jessica's voice through the car's speakers," His band which is formed of him, his brother and best friend is currently on a short break from an international tour. His only living relatives other than his brother is his mother, Esme and father Carlisle, and he has no enemies as far as I could tell."

"There's got to be something special about him," voiced Bella lost in her own thoughts, "Something that made him a target for our killer."

"Maybe, but it's not something I could find. As far as I can tell, Edward Cullen is your typical rock star living your typical rock star life."

"Great," mumbled Bella," Just what I wished for."

"Thank you, Jessica," added Jack politely before hanging up.

"Always the gentleman, right?" The car took an unexpected right and Bella almost fell off her chair,"Hey, that was on purpose!"

His response never came because he pulled over in the parking lot of a luxurious hotel. Bella knew she should be impressed, but she'd been here before. The luxury, the high life, it didn't enhance your personality or made you a better person, it only boosted your ego.

Jack seemed equally unimpressed as he showed his badge and asked for a room number which was provided to him in record speed. When he pushed the button for the penthouse, Bella concluded that Edward Cullen' ego needed no boosting.

"You're judging," quipped Jack taking her by surprise. After four years, he still remembered her expressions and her little tells. Having prepared a witty comeback, she opened her lips to speak, but the elevator's annoying sound stopped her. They'd reached the penthouse and the doors opened right in the middle of what seemed like an entrance hallway, Since there was no door, they stepped further into the room and headed straight for the only closed entry way.

"Mr. Cullen, open up, it's the F.B.I,"yelled Bella while knocking. She repeated the action, but without any luck. Tired of waiting, she twisted the doorknob and entered the room. What greeted her was something she hoped she's never see again.

A man was lying on the bed with three women. Naked. They were all naked and didn't seem to notice the people that had just entered the room. Bella was petrified and judging by the dead silence so was Jack. Snapping out of her trance she cleared her throat in a feeble attempt to gain their attention.

Nothing happened. Well, _something _was happening, but it was revolting to Bella.

"Mr,. Cullen," she finally got out, her strong, cutting voice catching everyone's attention,"We need to speak to you."

A mess of long, wavy black hair appeared from the tangled sheets, confusion written all over his face. At the sight of two stoic, imposing figures in the privacy of his bedroom, confusion soon turned to anger and then rage.

"Who the fuck are you? And what are you doing here?" he shouted, his face a mask of anger.

"We're with..." tried Jack to respond in a calm voice, but was soon cut off.

"I don't give a damn who you are. Just get the fuck out of here!"

Well, his favourite word is definitely "fuck", thought Bella as she tried to calm her temper before beating the crap out of the rude, obnoxious singer or actor or whatever the hell he was.

"We're not going anywhere, but your little tramps are leaving," she declared between clenched teeth.

"Like hell they are! Who do you think you are anyway?"

"We're with the F.B.I and they" Bella pointed towards the astonished girls," are leaving immediately."

No objection came from the naked man as the women gathered their stuff and scrambled out of the room. He stood up, a thin sheet wrapped around his muscular frame, clearly still annoyed by his unwanted guests. Grumbling, he grabbed some clothes and, without any explanation, entered the bathroom.

"Jack, I can't do this. I'm going to kill him myself. You can't seriously expect me to follow his around until we catch the serial killer. I'll go crazy," Bella's voice was desperate as she downright begged Jack to let her back out and leave.

"I'm sorry, you're our best shot at catching this guy and protecting Cullen at the same time."

Just as she was preparing her speech listing all the reasons why she wasn't a good fit for the job, the bathroom door opened and Edward Cullen emerged in all of his glory. A pair of ripped jeans hung loosely from his hips and a tight, black T-shirt showed his incredible figure. However, Bella couldn't care less about that. All she could see was an arrogant, disgusting excuse of a man.

"Now would you be so kind as to tell me why is the F.B.I barging into my bedroom?" his sarcastic tone annoyed Bella further as she kept imagining ways to wipe that smug smirk off his face.

"Sure, if you're kind enough to drop the attitude," she bit back feeling a little bit better, ignoring Jack's look of disapproval. So what if she was being childish? He deserved it.

"Mr. Cullen, we're here to inform you of a possible threat against you," continued Jack calmly.

A more serious expression crossed the singer's face, but it was soon hid behind a facade of indifference. His steely, icy blue eyes turned to look at them with what Bella guessed to be worry, but he kept quiet. A shake of his head urged them to go on.

"Have you heard of the Human Jigsaw Killer?"

Furrowing his brows, in a sign of confusion at Jack's question," No, should I have?"

Bella was astounded. It had been all over the news. Had he lived in a cave the last months?

"He's a serial killer that has been operating in New York for the past months."

"What does that have to do with me?"

His question annoyed Bella. Was he dense or only pretending? And why was Jack being so nice? Tired of beating around the bush she declared, "You're his next target."

Shock was written all over his face. Her insensitive sentence had managed to rattle him. Being a serial killer's target must be frightening, but his face and posture showed nothing of that sort. In a way, Bella found herself admiring his stoicism.

"I see. So why are you wasting your time here? Shouldn't you be out there catching him?"

The small shred of admiration was gone instantly. Who did he thing he was trying to tell them how to do their job?

"We came here to warn you, but since you're clearly occupied and way too important to be bothered with such frivolous matters, we'll be leaving now."

She turned around up, ready to walk out the door when Jack once again ruined her plans.

"The F.B.I would also like to offer you a protection detail."

He pointed at Bella who was downright fuming. Jack was throwing her into the lion's den without an ounce of remorse.

"Her?" Edward eyed her, skepticism written all over his face,"I think I'm going to take my chances on my own."

Bella wanted to strangle him. How dare he question her abilities? Fine by her, he could test his luck any day. From what she'd seen he wouldn't last 10 minutes if the Human Jigsaw Killer decided to pay him a visit.

"It wasn't something optional Mr. Cullen. We can't take any chances. There's no way you become the 13th victim. Not on my watch."

Bella knew Jack took every case personally. In a way he blamed himself for the deaths that had occurred. Edward must have seen that there was no point in arguing too, because a resigned expression smeared his features as he grumbled an agreement.

"I'll let you two get acquainted."

With that he hurried out the door, leaving the other two people in the room confused, stunned and unable to form any words let alone object. Bella added to her bucket list to make Jack pay for what he was putting her through. She stole a quick glance at the guy in front of her and noticed his expressive blue eyes trained on her as well.

"So..." they awkwardly began at the same time only to stop again.

God, why did she always end up in such predicaments?

Decided to stop this nonsense she spoke," Look, I don't want to be here as much as you don't want me here. Trust me. However, this arrangement is for your own sake and we have to figure out a way to make this work."

A few seconds passed before he finally responded, "Fine."

Bella couldn't believe him. She was making an effort here and he was uttering one word answers as if he couldn't wait to get rid of this unbelievably hard chore. This assignment was in a way bringing back incredibly painful memories. Shaking her head, she pulled herself away from the realm of remembrance and back into the one of extreme irritation.

"I only have a few rules that you need to mind. Firstly, don't leave the hotel without mes. The impassive look on his face let her know that there was no chance of changing his mind and she couldn't force him. Besides, she doubted the killer would act in such public environments. No, he preferred to take his time, terrorize his prey.

"Ok," she compromised determined to keep a close eye on him throughout the entire course of the day. The serial killer will not touch him. No way in hell will she allow that. Not this time.

Seeing that she wasn't going to say anything else, he grabbed his laptop and collapsed or at least before telling me where you'll be headed. Second and last, when you're on stage or whenever you're in a crowd, try not to take unnecessary risks and limit your interactions with unknown persons. Including the ones that come in your room"

"I can do the first thing," he nodded slowly," But I'm afraid the second one is more or less impossible. I make my living out of my audience. They pay to see me and it would be disrespectful to neglect that because of a lunatic that wants me dead."

His words infuriated her yet in a way won a small amount of respect for the way he treated his fan on the couch, engulfing himself in it, not casting even a look in the woman's direction. Wordlessly, she sat in the armchair thinking on the best course of action. She had discussed in the car with Jack that she should stay as close to Edward Cullen as possible and that they should rent a room at the same hotel as him. That's when it hit her. She had brought absolutely nothing with her.

"I have to grab some stuff from home," she broke the silence, but he never looked her way,"You need to come with me," she stated more strength in her voice.

"No," and he turned back to his laptop.

"I wasn't asking."

"Following you around wasn't among your rules. Therefore, I don't have to do it," Edward smirked.

"It's your safety your toying with," she got out between clenched teeth.

He didn't even bother to respond. At his lack of response, Bella left slamming the door behind her. He was making it impossible to protect him. It was as if he didn't care about his own life. Despite that, she reached her house, packed a small bag and drove back to the hotel as quickly as possible. Getting the room was easy because apparently Jack had booked one on her name. Barely 40 minutes later, Bella was in the elevator heading for the penthouse the second time today.

Loud voices greeted her. She couldn't believe it. She hoped that there were no naked girls this time. She had told him not to call people to his room without telling her and at the first opportunity he did just that.

The sight that met her managed to once again surprise her. There were no women, but instead two guys were spread on the couch laughing and speaking with Edward who, surprisingly, wasn't scowling. His broad smile disappeared though when he laid eyes on her.

"I told you not to invite people over without telling me," she accused.

"No, you told me not to invite unknown people. These are my brother and my best friend."

Bella deduced that they were also his band mates and felt kind of stupid for not knowing that.

"And who might this be?" asked one of the other guys.

"She's with the F.B.I, but I don't know her name because she never introduced herself properly."

Bella realized that he was correct,"Well it's not like you gave me plenty of opportunities."

Edward shrugged his shoulders indifferently at which one of the guys rolled his eyes. "I'm Jasper Hale and this is Emmett, Edward's brother."

"I'm Bella Swan," she said looking at the man that had spoken. Jasper was relatively tall with short, spiky jet-black hair and warm brown eyes. A beard hardened his features and gave him more of a rocker's appearance. That and his leather jacket and boots.

Emmett on the other hand was eying her curiously. She could see the resemblance between him and Edward. They both shared their beautiful cerulean eyes, but Emmett had more of a rugged beauty compared to Edward's perfectly sculpted face. In spite of this, when a small smile crossed Emmett's lips, he seemed more handsome to Bella than Mr. I'm-Too-Perfect ever did.

"Why is the F.B.I here?" asked Emmett as he was shaking Bella's hand. No sooner had she opened her mouth to respond than Edward cut her off.

"They think I'm in some sort of danger so they sent her to protect me," he scoffed," You know how they always overreact."

Bella was unable to understand what he was doing. Why was he minimizing the danger he was in? And why wasn't he mentioning the serial killer. One pointed look from him somehow made her shut her mouth.

"The F.B.I sent you a bodyguard? Are you sure it's not a serious threat?" Jasper asked.

"Yeah, don't worry about it," Edward waved him off.

It finally dawned on Bella that he was trying not to worry his friends. Meanwhile, she noticed Emmett studying her from head to toe. When he caught her also looking at him, he smiled at her, easing the weird feeling that had crept up on her.

"Well, I'll let you guys to your own devices. Edward, if you do decide to go out, I'll be in room 207. Let me know," she ordered sternly.

"I will," he promised in his low, husky voice. Something made Bella believe him. Maybe it was the fast gone expression of gratitude at not exposing the truth or the fact that he sounded sincere. Perhaps it was only wishful thinking. The other two guys bid her good-bye and for the first time, she wasn't enraged after interacting with Edward Cullen. Maybe they could somehow find a way to make this situation work.

Her hotel room was cramped compared to Edward's posh one or even to her beloved, cozy bedroom, but she'd never been one to search for commodities. She'd been laying in bed, bored out of her mind, trying to get past Chapter 3 of a crime novel when her phone pulled her out of misery. Her best friend's name popped up on the screen and she felt immense gratitude towards the Universe that was saving her from the bland world that author had brought to life.

"Hey, Alice," greeted Bella,"What's up?"

"Finally, I was beginning to think you were ignoring my phone calls. Don't tell me you were busy grading papers."

The tone of her voice reminded Bella that she'd never really got over the fact that she'd somehow resigned from the F.B.I. Alice always knew that being a field agent had been her dream since she was a child and she didn't understand how she could just give it up. Truthfully, Bella was unable to speak of her real reasons and Alice had never forgiven her for that.

Bella sighed, feeling wary of the path this conversation was heading towards," I was actually busy looking at pictures of horrendous murders."

"What?" her friend's voice went up an octave.

"Jack called me in to consult on a case."

"That's great! I knew you wouldn't really give up on your passion," she beamed, "What case? Wait, is it the Human Jigsaw Killer?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact it is."

"That's like huge and all over the media," Alice gushed before her tone turned serious again,"Be careful. I may not know all of the gory details, but from what I have seen he's a disturbed bastard."

"He is indeed."

"So, tell me more about the case," she probed.

"You know I can't do that, Alice."

A series of pleas assaulted Bella, but just as she was about to deny Alice for the hundredth time, a knock on the door startled her. One look at the watch told her it was past 8 at night. Who could it be, she asked herself as she hung up on her protesting friend and headed for the door. The face of Edward Cullen greeted her.

"I came by to tell you that me, Jasper and Emmett are heading for the bar in front of the hotel."

She kept her response just as formal without any greetings,"Let me grab a few things and I'll join you."

"Actually, it's right around the corner and I'll be with them. I don't want them to worry more than necessary," he took a deep breath,"I want to ask you not to come. I promise I'll stay in their company and that I won't go anywhere else. Please," he added the last word, a sour expression on his face as if it actually physically hurt him.

Bella understood his reasons and somewhat sympathized with him. Seeing that he was making an attempt to be civil, she decided that she would as well. It sounded like he would be protected enough.

"Fine. If and only if you promise to always stay near one of them and not go any further away from the hotel."

"I won't."

With a small nod, he disappeared around the corner. Bella prayed to God that she wouldn't end up regretting this. Decided to overcome some of the boredom that had overcome her, but feeling too tired to go out, especially by herself, she ended up ordering room service and a movie. On behalf of the F.B.I, of course.

The lasagna she ordered was delicious and the action film was actually better than she'd expected. All in all, the night had turned out to be quite entertaining. To add to that, she seemed to be on speaking terms with Edward Cullen which was an improvement. She was skimming through the movie list when a text message from Alice startled her.

_You will not guess who's in the new club that opened near my apartment __building...__Take a look for yourself._

An attached video laid at the bottom of the page. When she opened it, her mouth fell to the floor. Of course, there were Edward, Jasper and Emmett knocking down shot glasses, singing and dancing, clearly drunk. An overwhelming surge of anger took over her entire body. Grabbing the first articles of clothing that she found, her gun and badge, she hurried to said bar, feeling ready to go on a murderous spree.

That irresponsible guy had lied to her. Abused of her little trust, making her feel like a naive teenager. He'll see who Bella Swan was. Sure enough, by the time she reached the bar, her anger hand not subsided one bit, maybe only amplified. The bouncer let her in immediately when she showed her badge and she found herself engulfed in a dim, multicoloured light accompanied by such loud music that it made her ears bleed.

The brown haired woman aimed for the bar, but she could only see Jasper who was clearly wasted. Great. Not only had he broken his promise to stay near the hotel, but he'd also separated from his mates. He was clearly a man of word. Her feet guided her to the bathroom where she was met with a sight that was almost familiar by now. Edward and a woman were kissing each other, eagerly shedding clothes. Another one of her rules broken.

"So happy to see you're a man of word, Cullen," she shouted loud enough to be heard. Instantly, he pulled back and she could swear she saw remorse on his face for a split second.

"I can explain," he offered pushing the poor woman away.

Bella raised her hand stopping him," Don't bother. It's over. I'm done with this charade. You clearly don't want my protection and I'm no fool to keep chasing you around if you keep ignoring my rules." she turned to leave, but he caught her arm in a strong grip.

"I'm sorry I broke my promise," his striking blue orbs were swimming in sincerity, but Bella couldn't find it in her to forgive. It had only been a day, but she felt tired and at the end of her strength.

"Me too, but I can't keep you safe if you keep lying to me," she whispered, wiggling her hand out of his and leaving without turning back. Tomorrow, she'd reach out to Jack and tell him of her decision.

Despite the fact that it was based on logic, something felt off to Bella. She couldn't pinpoint what or understand the sinking pit that had formed in her stomach, but she had a bad feeling. While she was leaving the club, she got that weird sensation like somebody was watching her, but when she looked around she couldn't spot a single thing out of the ordinary.

She'd learned throughout her years at the Bureau to trust her gut, but this time as she shut the door of the club she also shut off her instincts that screamed for her to go back there. Instead, she walked to the hotel, calming her nerves and went to sleep.

Her phone's loud buzzing woke her up. Upon seeing Jack's name, all sleep was eased off her body.

"Bella Swan," she spoke in her business tone.

"Where are you?" His voice was a mixture between anger and reproach.

"At the hotel. Why?"

"What are you doing there?"

"Sleeping," she admitted off put by his harsh voice,"Jack, what's with all the questioning?"

A sigh could be heard at the end of the line, but no direct answer.

"Why are you at the hotel when Edward Cullen is not there?"

That's when Bella knew for sure that something had indeed happened. His voice was too controlled. It was like this only when he was trying to keep from lashing out.

"It's," she stopped for a moment," It's a long story. What's wrong, Jack? Talk to me."

"Edward Cullen was assaulted at a club earlier in the night."

Her world tumbled down on her. She'd been there. She'd abandoned him there. She'd been too proud to stay even though she'd felt something was wrong. It was all her fault. Again.

"How is he? Is he..." she trailed off, her voice breaking.

"He's been stabbed. The doctors have taken him into surgery, but the odds are against him."

"I have to go. I'm sorry," she hung up on Jack.

She couldn't believe it. She'd failed him, she'd failed herself and everybody else that had been counting on her. Throwing on some wrinkled clothes, she rushed to the hospital hoping that he wouldn't die.

God, don't let him die. Please, she prayed as she drove like a madwoman. Please let him survive.


End file.
